SBI Clerk (Junior Associate) 2026 Mains Syllabus & Exam Pattern
Posted · Last updated
The 2026 mains has 190 questions and 200 marks in 2 hours 40 minutes across four separately timed sections, with 1/4 negative marking. Only mains marks decide the merit list.
At a glance
| Organisation | State Bank of India (SBI) |
|---|---|
| Status | Current |
| Questions | 190 |
| Marks | 200 |
| Duration | 2 hours 40 minutes (35 + 35 + 45 + 45 minutes, timed separately) |
| Negative marking | 1/4 of the marks of a question |
| Cut-off | No sectional minimum; minimum percentage on the total set by the Bank |
| Next stage | Local Language Proficiency Test where the language was not studied in class 10 or 12 |
Details
Source: SBI advertisement CRPD/CR/2026-27/17. The advertisement lists the sections and timing but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. The topics below are the areas SBI Clerk mains papers have commonly covered.
General / Financial Awareness (50 questions, 50 marks, 35 minutes): current affairs of the last six months, banking and financial awareness, RBI policy and terms, government schemes, economy and budget, appointments, awards, books and authors, important days, sports, static GK.
General English (40 questions, 40 marks, 35 minutes): reading comprehension, cloze test, error spotting, sentence correction, para jumbles, fill in the blanks, vocabulary, sentence connectors.
Quantitative Aptitude (50 questions, 50 marks, 45 minutes): data interpretation (including caselet and mixed), simplification and approximation, number series, quadratic equations, data sufficiency, arithmetic word problems (percentage, profit and loss, interest, ratio, mixtures, time and work, speed, age), mensuration, permutation and combination, probability.
Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude (50 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes): puzzles and seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, input-output, data sufficiency, plus computer basics (hardware and software, MS Office, internet and networking, security, shortcut keys, number systems). This section carries 60 marks for 50 questions, so some questions are worth more than one mark; check the marks shown in the test.
Each section is timed separately. A wrong answer loses 1/4 of the mark. No minimum marks are set for a section; a minimum percentage on the total is set by the Bank (5% relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, PwBD, XS and DXS). The prelims marks are not added. Shortlisted candidates who have not studied the local language of the state in class 10 or 12 then take the Local Language Proficiency Test.
How to use this
- Split time by section: 35, 35, 45 and 45 minutes.
- Revise six months of current affairs and banking awareness.
- Practise caselet data interpretation and mixed puzzles.
- Learn computer basics; they are part of the reasoning section.
Books for this exam
Choose a book for the topics you need to strengthen. Buying a book is optional; you can continue using our free practice resources.
Affiliate links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our affiliate disclosure.
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
By R. S. Aggarwal
An option for chapter-based arithmetic practice. Pair selected exercises with timed previous-year papers for your exam.
Find on Amazon ↗Magical Book on Quicker Maths
By M. Tyra
A commonly used reference for Quant shortcuts. Check it against your syllabus and the editions your institution prescribes before buying.
Find on Amazon ↗Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency
By Arun Sharma
A commonly used reference for Data interpretation. Check it against your syllabus and the editions your institution prescribes before buying.
Find on Amazon ↗A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
By R. S. Aggarwal
A commonly used reference for Reasoning. Check it against your syllabus and the editions your institution prescribes before buying.
Find on Amazon ↗Objective General English
By S. P. Bakshi
An option for revising grammar and vocabulary. Use your practice-test errors to choose the chapters to study next.
Find on Amazon ↗Banking and financial awareness guide
Browse current editions, years and reviews on Amazon, and match them to the latest official syllabus.
Find on Amazon ↗Links open Amazon search results in a new tab. Check the edition, language, seller, price and delivery details on Amazon before ordering.
This post is a plain-language summary prepared by Pratiyogita Kosh from public information. We are not the conducting body. Please verify all dates, eligibility and fees on the official website before you apply.